Drones and Geology

It doesn't take long when visiting Oregon's beaches to see that seismology has shaped the landscape. Recently my family and I spent time paddle boarding at Cape Arago. As I explored the area on the water, as far as I could see, the cliffs around us rose out of the water at extreme angles and was heavily layered.

It's those features that geologist Dr. Armentrout contacted me about. Dr. Armentrout is conducting a study of the geology of parts of the coastline along Oregon. The problem is, many of the areas that need to be inspected are not accessible due to the shear nature of the cliff faces. That's where PacWest Drone Services comes in. Drones can easily access the face of the cliffs safely, and provide clear, close-up views of rock formations that geologists like Dr. Armentrout are looking for. I'm extremely privileged to be able to partner in this endeavor, along with the State Parks Department to map via Drone Deploy, parts of our coastline for geologic study. I will also be photographing and mapping Shore Acres State Park, and Sunset Bay State Park cliffs and trail systems. The data that the drone supplies will provide vital and timely information to the park management in order to ensure that the trail systems along the cliffs are safe for visitors and not being undercut by erosion. From high quality mapping, 3-D modeling, photographs, and video - PacWest Drones Services is providing state-of-the-art deliverable products that will be used in geologic study of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and tools for the State Park to use in erosion control and conservation of our most valuable assets.